Waiting Game
by ninjanervana
Summary: Natasha gets injured during a mission, leaving Clint worried out of his ever loving mind. It's time for him and the Avengers to play the waiting game, hoping she pulls through. I do not own anything.
1. The mission

Hello readers, it's ninjanervana here to present you with another Blackhawk/Clintasha story! Remember I do not own any of the characters and make sure you review it if you like it; I'll post chapters faster!

* * *

"Another day, another chance to save the world," Tony said as he fired a blast toward the horde of robots surrounding Captain America. He had to admit, he was pretty impressed by the robots, by their self-defense mechanisms, by their ability to adapt to their opponents' attacks and use it against them. It was really quite brilliant. It was almost something as good as something he could have built if he went all evil genius. Unfortunately, it was making things more difficult for the Avengers.

"Agent Romanoff, tell me you're in the facility," Steve said, ducking as a robot Hulk tossed flew over his head. "Hulk, watch where you're tossing those things, would ya!"

"Going in now, Captain," Natasha replied as she and Clint arrived at the doors of the building. "Watch my back?" she asked, turning to Clint.

"Always. Be careful," Clint replied, firing an explosive arrow at the robots that were approaching the building. _'God I love these new arrows,'_ he thought. _'Gotta remember to thank Tony and Bruce again.' _Clint's job was simple: don't let anyone or anything into the building while Natasha tried to shut down the robots. _'Simple enough,'_ he thought, firing off another round of arrows.

"These creatures resemble the Destroyer my brother once sent after me; this battle shall be spoken of for years to come," Thor said as he swung his hammer, connecting with a robot's head.

"We've got enough stories as it is," Steve laughed.

"How far are you from the mainframe, Widow?" Tony asked as a robot clamped onto his arm. "I just repainted this!"

"I'm almost there," Natasha replied, the blueprint of the building flashing through her mind. She only had to take down a handful of security personal since she step foot into the building; the place was filled with civilian scientists who ran about as alarms blared overhead, slowing her progress through the building. Finally she reached the security room she needed, kicking in the door. "Holy shit," she muttered as she looked at the computers that lined the walls. "There's way more computers than I planned for. Stark, how do I turn this thing off?" Natasha asked.

"Ah, the infamous Black Widow," a voice said through the overhead speakers. "I am honored S.H.I.E.L.D sent you out to play with me and my army."

"More like take your army down," Natasha replied.

"Unfortunately, if I must lose, then so will you."

"What the-" Natasha muttered as she saw a milky gas begin to pour into the room through the air vents. "He's releasing some toxin into the air."

"Just shoot the computers and get the hell out, Romanoff," Clint said, knowing Natasha didn't have a gas mask with her.

"Birdboy's plan sounds good to me, Red," Tony replied. "Fire off a few rounds and get out."

Natasha fired her gun until all the screens were broken, making sure everything was destroyed before sprinting out of the room. _'Shit,'_ she thought as she saw the hall was filled with the mysterious gas, bodies scattered across the floor. She cursed again as she felt her muscles begin to seize up, burning with pain as she forced herself to move forward. _'What the hell is this stuff?' _she wondered as she rushed down the hallway. The closest exit was the window over the staircase she came up, which was still several yards away from her, the light from the window blurred through the gas. "Hey Barton, do you remember that mission in South Africa a few years ago?" Natasha asked hoarsely, feeling as if someone was squeezing her lungs.

"How could I forget?" Clint replied, smirking slightly.

"What happened in South Africa?" Tony asked curiously.

"She forgot black widows don't fly," Clint said, laughing slightly. "Why do you ask?"

"North side of the building, forty seconds, repeat performance," Natasha replied, her vision blurring. She could feel the strain her body was under and knew she wasn't gonna last much longer. If she didn't make it to the window soon, she wasn't going to make it at all. Whatever was in the air was getting to her. She wondered momentarily if she was going to survive. _'The infamous Black Widow killed off by a gas,'_ she thought dryly. "Ready, Clint?" she said softly, her voice barely reaching him through his earpiece.

Clint's heart clenched slightly as Natasha called him by his first name. She _never_ used his first name when they were on missions; she always called him Barton or Hawkeye, but never Clint. "I've got you," he replied.

Natasha used her last bit of energy to propel herself forward and out the window. 'Good thing Clint's a good catch,' she thought as she crashed through the window pane, her world going dark almost immediately.

Clint's eyes widened slightly as Natasha came crashing through the second floor window. He could tell something was wrong by the uncontrolled way she fell; Natasha never did anything uncontrolled. He rolled as he caught her, attempting to lessen the force on both of them. "Shit," he gasped as his head banged into the ground, feeling a gush of blood from his head. "Romanoff," he said, getting up from the floor and rushing over to her. Her skin was ashen, her breathing ragged. "Romanoff, talk to me," he called as he pressed his fingertips against her neck, searching for a pulse. His stomach dropped as he could barely detect the slow beat of her heart. "This is Agent Barton, requesting an immediate med evac. Agent Romanoff is down; she has been exposed to an unknown toxin."

"Loud and clear, Agent Barton. ETA one minute," a voice replied.

The other Avengers felt their hearts clench as they rushed toward the building, listening to Clint's slightly panicked voice. "Don't give up on me, Nat. Help's coming, so hold on," Clint said, gripping one of her hands tightly between his.

* * *

*dramatic music* what's gonna happen? Reviews please


	2. Worry and a bit of advice

Clint felt his heart pounding as he rushed after the medical team transporting Natasha, the rest of the Avengers on his heels. Natasha's heart stopped twice during the thirty minute flight to the closest S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier, each time shaving years off of Clint's life expectancy. It was already short enough with his career as an assassin. He didn't know what Natasha had been exposed to, didn't think the doctors knew either and that sent him into a downward spiral of panic as he raced through the halls of S.H.I.E.L.D following Natasha's stretcher.

"No, Friend," Thor said, wrapping an arm around Clint's chest as he tried to walk through the doors of the medical bay.

"Thor, let go of me," Clint exclaimed, struggling against Thor's Asgardian strength to no avail.

"The healing room is no place for you to be while they tend to Lady Natasha," Thor said seriously, his voice filled with worry.

"He's right, Clint. You've got to let the doctors do their job and take care of her," Steve agreed.

"Take care of her?! She crashed twice, Captain," Clint said, feeling his tenuous grip on his emotions slowly slipping away like sand between his fingers. "They don't even know what's wrong with her."

"And neither do you," Bruce replied calmly. "Having you breathing down the doctors' necks won't help the situation. S.H.I.E.L.D has people gathering samples and searching the building as we speak. They'll figure out what's wrong with her."

Clint looked around at his fellow Avengers, his brothers-in-arms, his family and knew they were right. He slumped slightly in Thor's grip, the fight going out of him.

"Don't worry," Tony said, placing a hand on Clint's shoulder. "Our Tasha is a fighter. I'm actually surprised she hasn't shot me yet for calling her our Tasha," he said, stepping away from the doors to the medical bay. "You screaming bloody murder again won't help the situation."

"Again?" Clint asked numbly.

"Yeah, don't you remember screaming at the top of your lungs in the plane?" Tony asked, trying to lighten the mood. "I thought you were gonna make Bruce hulk out on us and then we really woulda had a problem."

Steve shook his head, "It really wasn't that loud; Stark's being dramatic as usual."

"Play nice guys; I'm gonna go get a first aid kit to clean up your head, Clint" Bruce said, walking quickly down the hall.

Clint leaned against the wall, slowly sliding down until he sat on the floor. "My head," he muttered to himself, touching his forehead. He had completely forgotten about his bleeding head wound in his complete and utter terror over Natasha's health. "I forgot all about it."

"Like I said, not surprising through all the screaming. Didn't know you had those lungs on you, Barton; I'm surprised I've never heard you and Natasha going at it in the bedroom," Tony said with a cheeky smile.

"If I have to get up from the floor to grab you Tony, I'll make you wish Natasha had gotten her hands on you first," Clint said, glaring at Tony. "I may not have my bow, but I've still got a lot of weapons on me."

Tony swallowed, his palms sweating. He wondered if he might have gone a little too far in his attempt to get Clint out of his worry. _'Always forget he's a master assassin with all the time we spend together,' _he thought.

"Come on Tony, let's go look for some food before Clint feeds you your Iron Man suit," Steve said, walking away from the group.

"I shall remain with Friend Clint," Thor said, sitting beside Clint on the floor. "We shall await your return."

Clint and Thor sat in silence for a few minutes, only the sound of shuffling in the room filling the quiet. Clint clenched his jaw every time there was a sudden flurry of activity, resisting the urge to get up and rush into the room. He knew he wouldn't be any help; he would just get in the way and distract them from what they really needed to focus on, but god his heart ached to be apart from Natasha. To know she was sick and possibly dying from Fury only knows what and all he could do was sit in the hallway outside the room and wait tore him to shreds.

"You care very much for Lady Natasha," Thor said quietly.

Clint nodded. "Of course, she's my partner."

"Tis true that Lady Natasha is; she is a most fearsome partner indeed. But there is much more to you both, another relationship."

"What are you talking about?" Clint asked hesitantly.

"Have you confessed you love to her?" Thor asked bluntly.

If Clint had a drink in hand, it would have been the best moment to do a TV spit take. "Wh-what? Of course not."

"Why not? It is clear that you and Lady Natasha have deep feelings for each other; all have observed it. Is your love forbidden?" Thor asked, intending to have a talk with Fury if he was keeping two of his closest friends from being together. "Is that the reason you have not confessed your feelings to her? It is clear from your distress over her health that you care for her most deeply."

"Thor, it's not that simple," Clint sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Natasha and I are both complicated people. We've finally found some kind of peace with each other, a home that doesn't have walls but no one can tear down and I don't wanna ruin that with her."

"But you do not deny that you have feelings for her," Thor said, smiling slightly.

"I-"

"Hey Goldilocks, I found you some poptarts," Tony said, tossing a package to Thor while he walked toward them.

"Do not hesitate to tell her of your feelings; time is not infinite," Thor said quietly. "Many thanks Man of Iron."

"And I've got a first aid kit," Bruce said, kneeling in front of Clint. "Let's get you all cleaned up."

* * *

What was Clint gonna say? Why did Tony interrupt them? What do you wanna see happen? Reviews please


	3. Bruce

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose as he looked at the medical report on Natasha_. 'Being a doctor has its perks,'_ he thought. _'Maybe I can help.'_ He sighed as his eyes ran over the words of the medical report yet again, hoping he discovered some clue that he had missed before. As far as the S.H.I.E.L.D medical team could tell, Natasha was infected with a mutated form of scarlet fever that had been combined with a hallucinogen and other unknown substances. They didn't know if they could cure her or if she would even survive the illness; all they could do was sit and wait while they tried to learn more about the toxin.

Breaking the news to Clint that they weren't sure how to cure Natasha had gone horribly; Bruce wasn't sure what was worse: Clint's despair and worry over Natasha's health or his anger at the S.H.I.E.L.D medical staff at not knowing how to help her._ 'Good thing he doesn't have an Other Guy.' _Bruce understood Clint's worry over Natasha; the entire Avengers team was worried sick. Natasha was part of their family, their little, dysfunctional band of misfits that miraculously managed to work like a well-oiled machine in the field, that looked after one another and cared about each other. No one wanted to see Natasha or Clint suffering and their inability to help in any way frustrated them to no end.

Bruce ran his fingers through his hair, sighing softly. Bruce didn't want anything to happen to Natasha. After spending his life as a loner scientist, he was overjoyed to have people who not only accepted him and the Other Guy, but actually loved him. He loved spending time with Natasha. They weren't the chattiest pair, but he adored her company. He looked forward to the quiet mornings they would spend in the living room of the Avengers Tower, drinking coffee and reading as they sat across from each other. He chuckled when she would look at him and roll her eyes as Clint and Tony argued over some senseless topic. He enjoyed the calm and quiet she brought to the Tower when she was around, even if it was brought about by threats of a painful death.

Finding out that no one from the building survived their exposure to the gas set the Avengers even more on edge. _'The only reason Natasha probably survived is probably because of the good shape she was in,'_ Bruce thought, pushing himself away from his work desk._ 'And she managed to get out of the building into the clean air.' _Bruce shook his head as he recalled Clint's description of her jumping out of the second floor window. It was a risky move on her part. Normally the fall would have at least broken some bones; with the condition her body was in from the gas, the fall might have killed her. But she trusted Clint to catch her as risky as the gamble was. She knew as well as the other Avengers that Clint would never let her get hurt. _'I should go check up on him,' _he thought, walking out of the room.

* * *

Clint sat besides Natasha's bed, her hand clasped in his. He glanced at the beeping machines across the room, watching Natasha's steady pulse. After what seemed like hours, the doctors finally managed to stabilize Natasha, giving Clint the chance to take a deep breath. _'Not much of a deep breath when the doctors tell you two hours later that everyone else died from the gas,' _Clint thought bitterly. "I really didn't see this coming, Nat," he said softly, brushing his lips against her knuckles. "Never thought I'd see you in the hospital bed." He held her knuckles gently against his lips, his stomach twisting in knots. "You know this is worse than that time in South Africa," he chuckled softly. "Even if you were bleeding from bullet wounds when you launched yourself out that second story window and even if I managed to dislocate my shoulder catching you that time. That was a crazy move you pulled jumping out that window, really crazy. But I always catch you, Nat, always have always will." Clint paused momentarily, his throat tightening. "I just need you to keep fighting, okay? I know this has to be hard for you, Tasha, but I don't want you to give up. You have all of us behind you: me, Bruce, Steve, Thor, Tony. We're all behind you, Tasha, so don't give up on us."

Clint took a deep breath as someone knocked on the door, taking a moment to get his emotions under wraps. "Come in," Clint called.

"Hey," Bruce said as he stood in the doorway of the room, a book in hand. "Mind if I come in?"

"Not at all," Clint replied, gesturing to the empty seat next to him.

"How's Natasha doing?" Bruce asked as he settled into the chair.

"Pretty much the same. How's the medical research team doing?"

"They're still working on a way to help her," Bruce replied, watching as Clint slowly brushed his thumb across Natasha's knuckles. "I can watch Natasha for a while if you wanna get something to eat or anything."

"Nah, I'm good right here," Clint replied. "Thanks though."

Bruce nodded, knowing Clint wouldn't have accepted the offer. "If you don't mind me saying, I really like yours and Natasha's relationship."

"What do you mean?" Clint asked curiously.

"There's just something about you two that just makes sense, like two puzzle pieces fitting together. You don't have to think about it or focus on it; your relationship just makes sense. It's in the way you guys have those silent conversations through facial expressions and the way you guys adjust yourself when you're around each other, the way Natasha becomes just the tiniest bit gentler when you sit next to her and the way you calm down slightly when she brushes her hand against yours. You guys aren't blatant with your love for each other, but it's clearly there. It's natural for you two, like breathing," Bruce concluded, feeling as if he summed up Clint and Natasha's relationship as well as he could while still not saying enough.

"Why does everyone think me and Tasha are in love?" Clint asked, shaking his head.

"Because you two are. You guys just don't see it yet." Bruce rose from his seat, handing the book in his hand to Clint. "Natasha wanted to start this book when she got home; maybe you can read it to her. I'll see you later tonight."

"Thanks," Clint said as Bruce walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. "People are crazy, Nat." Clint opened the book, holding one of Natasha's hands in his as he began to read aloud. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."

* * *

Who should visit Clint and Natasha next? Will Natasha get better or worse? Reviews please


	4. Steve

Steve stood outside of Natasha's room in the medical bay, his hand raised to knock on the door. He hesitated momentarily, wondering what he was supposed to say. He was the unofficial leader of the Avengers; he was supposed to know how to comfort his teammates, but Steve simply felt tongue-tied. _'What do you say to a guy who's watching the love of his life lay in a hospital bed, unsure of whether she's gonna wake up or not,'_ he thought, taking a step back from the door. He leaned against the wall, staring at the door as he worried over Clint and Natasha. Steve knew what it was like to love someone and lose them; sure he and Peggy were very different from Clint and Natasha, but love is love, right? He didn't want Clint to suffer through the same heartache he faced when he woke up and realized he had lost Peggy.

But Clint wouldn't lose Natasha. Steve knew them both pretty well after living with the Avengers for a few months. He knew how strong Natasha was, both physically from sparring with her in the gym and mentally. She would never surrender even as her body rebelled against her, weakening her. He also knew Natasha would never leave Clint. She wouldn't abandon him when he was under Loki's mind control. She moved heaven and earth to get him back, managing to string together a group of the most ill prepared superheroes, managing to undo Loki's control herself, even if she did it by knocking Clint unconscious with one hell of a left punch. Natasha was a fighter; everyone knew it. And she would fight a hundred times harder knowing Clint would be waiting for her to wake up. And Clint would be waiting by her side. He would sit there for days, weeks if it took, silently waiting for the moment she opened her eyes and made a sarcastic comment, which he would reply to with equal amounts of sarcasm. They would continue pretending that they were only partners and best friends and continue on with their lives as S.H.I.E.L.D agents and Avengers.

Steve shook his head at the thought, thinking of how stupid his teammates were. He knew it wasn't any of his business, but he couldn't understand how Clint and Natasha hadn't confessed their love to each other yet. It was blatantly obvious in Steve's opinion. Everyone knew there was more to the infamous Hawkeye and Black Widow's relationship than being just partners. Even Fury had to notice something was going on between them. _'Maybe that's why they aren't together,' _Steve thought. _'Maybe S.H.I.E.L.D doesn't allow their agents to be in personal relationships.' _That thought in mind, Steve pushed himself off the wall, paper bag in hand and knocked on door before opening it.

"Hey Steve," Clint said as he turned toward the door at the sound of it opening.

"Hi Clint, care for some company?" Steve asked, stepping into the room.

"Sure."

Steve walked into the room, sitting in the chair next to Clint. "How's Natasha doing? The doctors say anything?"

"Not anything they haven't told me. She's developed a pretty bad fever though," Clint said worriedly.

"Has she woken up at all?"

"Not yet. The doctors don't know why she hasn't woken up; they say she could wake up any second, but think the gas she was exposed to is keeping her asleep," Clint said, running a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he developed.

"Don't worry too much about Natasha," Steve said, patting Clint's arm. "She's a fighter; she'll come back to you. Plus she promised me a rematch for last week's sparring match that I lost."

"She beat you pretty bad, Captain," Clint laughed. "Do you really wanna challenge her again?"

"Of course. I love a good fight; I'll just have to watch out for her thigh lock."

"Good luck to you man," Clint replied, shaking his head. "Hey, what smells so good?"

"Oh I forgot about these," Steve said, handing Clint the paper bag. Clint raised an eyebrow, opening the bag to reveal a pile of chocolate chip cookies.

"Did you bake for me, Captain?" Clint teased.

"Not a chance," Steve laughed. "When I was a kid, I was in the hospital a lot; I was always getting sick from something. Whenever I was in the hospital, my mom would go to this bakery near my house and buy me chocolate chip cookies. They always made me feel a little better so I thought you might like them. And they taste great," Steve said, grabbing a cookie from the bag.

"Thanks," Clint replied softly, grabbing a cookie out of the bag and taking a bite. The pair sat in a comfortable silence, munching on the still warm cookies.

"Hey Clint," Steve said after a few minutes of quiet. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Clint said warily, always worried about open-ended questions.

"Does S.H.I.E.L.D. have a rule about agents dating each other or anything?"

"No, not that I'm aware of and I've been here quite a few years. Why? You got yourself a broad at S.H.I.E.L.D?" Clint asked, smiling mischievously.

Steve smiled at Clint's old-fashioned words; he was always trying to make Steve feel less out of place. "No, I don't. I was wondering about you and Natasha, if S.H.I.E.L.D was keeping you two apart."

"Why does everyone think that we should be together?" Clint said, shaking his head.

"Because you guys should be, unless you already are," Steve replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, there's nothing between me and Tasha; we're just friends."

"Then obviously you need to open your eyes a little bit. Listen, back before I was frozen in ice, there was a girl named Peggy. I fell for her like a ton of bricks. She was a lot like Natasha: strong, brave, beautiful, intelligent. Peggy was the total package, the kind of girl a guy would give his right arm to be with. And I never got the chance to tell her how much I love her and it kills me every day. I don't want to see that happen to you and Natasha; I don't want you guys to realize how much you love each other when it's too late," Steve said. "Everyone's time runs out eventually."

"Steve, I-"

"Look, whether you love her or not, you don't need to tell me and the rest of the team. Heck you don't have to tell anyone if you don't want to. But at least tell her," Steve said, gesturing toward Natasha. "You guys owe it to each other." Steve got up from his chair, stretching his arms overhead. "Just keep it in mind, alright? I'm gonna head to bed now; if you need anything or anything happens to Natasha, gimme a call."

"You got it. And Steve," Clint said as Steve opened the door. "Thanks."

"Anytime pal, anytime," Steve replied, closing the door behind him.

* * *

What do you guys think of this chapter? Too much fluff? Not enough? How was Steve? I'm not used to writing things from his point of view or anything so i need opinions. Who's gonna visit next? What will happen? Reviews pleaseee


	5. Pepper

"Hi Clint," Pepper said as she opened Natasha's room door.

"Hey Pepper," Clint replied, looking up from his place on the page.

"Reading to Natasha?" Pepper asked, smiling.

"Yeah, Bruce said Nat wanted to read it when we got home from the mission so I started reading it to her. Don't know if she can hear a word I'm saying though; she might end up reading it all again when she wakes up. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to drag you out of this room to get some lunch," Pepper replied, crossing her arms. She had dealt with Tony for years, forcing him to go to meetings he didn't want to, managing to get him dressed and ready after a night of partying, able to make him focus on his paperwork. She knew Clint would be a tough cookie to break, but Pepper had years of training under her belt; she could do this.

"I'm not hungry, Pepper."

"You must be hungry, Clint. You've been at Natasha's bedside for the past three days, never leaving this room and all you've eaten so far are the cookies that Steve brought you yesterday. You need to get out, get some fresh air and get some food," Pepper said, wearing her best no nonsense face.

"I'm a secret agent; you'd be surprised how long I could go without food," Clint replied.

"Clint Barton, do not make me go look up what your middle name is," Pepper said sternly, causing Clint to wince. _'Now I know how she manages to keep Tony in line,' _he thought. "Sitting next to Natasha's bed starving yourself when you could take a ten minute walk down the hallway and get something to eat is not gonna help her get better any faster. If she was awake she'd yell at you for being an idiot and you know it," Pepper said softly. "Nothing's going to happen to her if you leave for a little while. I'll station Agent Fury outside of her bedroom and if anything happens they'll call for you. But you need to take care of yourself if you're going to sit here and take care of Natasha, okay?"

Clint sat silently for a minute, slowly brushing his thumb back and forth across Natasha's knuckles as the constant beeping of the heart monitor filled the quietness.

"Clint, don't make me use the moves Natasha taught me," Pepper sighed softly.

"Natasha taught you to fight?" Clint said, his lips pulled into a small smile.

"Not exactly fight. I told her about a business owner who got a little too handsy at a Stark Gala and she taught me a few moves," Pepper explained.

"I'll kill him if Tony hasn't already," Clint said darkly.

Pepper smiled at Clint's threat, his words warming her heart. The Avengers had become family to Pepper with all the time they spent together in the Tower. They all had dinner together if they weren't out on a mission, they argued over what movie to watch, they fought over who left their equipment laying around the training room. Clint, Steve, Bruce, and Thor became the overprotective brother-in-laws she never thought she'd have and she loved them all for it. "It's alright; Tony punched him out and broke his nose," Pepper replied, waving her hand dismissively. "All I'm asking you for is thirty minutes of your time, Clint to get some food into you and then you can come back to Natasha. She'll be in good hands."

Clint hesitated for a moment before getting up and kissing Natasha's forehead. "Okay, only thirty minutes though," Clint said, turning toward Pepper.

"That's all I'm asking for," Pepper replied as they walked out of the room.

"You know I used to be amazed Tony got any work done at Stark Industries," Clint said as they walked down the hall. "Now I realize it was probably because of you."

"Tony's not big on schedules or attending meetings he thinks are boring. Sometimes all he needs is a little persuading and when that fails, a little threatening."

"You and Tony's relationship makes sense now; you guys are the couple that doesn't make sense on paper, but actually manages to work."

"I could say the same thing about you and Natasha. You'd think two assassins would constantly be at each other's throats, not falling in love with each other," Pepper said nonchalantly as they walked into the eating area. "But you two work perfectly."

"Look! Robin Hood's come to join us," Tony said, cutting off Clint's reply to Pepper. Tony, Thor, Bruce and Steve sat at a table in the dining area, plates of food in front of them. "You owe me five, Bruce."

"Five for what?" Clint asked, sitting at the table with them as Pepper placed a sandwich in front of him.

"I bet Bruce five bucks that Pepper would be able to get you out of the room," Tony said smugly. "Never underestimate Pepper's powers of persuasions; seriously it's a super power. Next time we have to face an alien invasion we should just send Peps out to talk to them; she would be able to get them to leave without a fight."

"Shall we make Lady Pepper an honorary Avenger?" Thor laughed.

"She already is with all the time she spends around us," Steve pointed out. "All she needs is an outfit."

"I'd love to see you in a catsuit; I'm sure Natasha has spares," Tony said suggestively, earning a swift kick from Pepper under the table.

Clint shook his head, taking a bite of his sandwich. _'The couple that shouldn't work but does.'_

* * *

Clint sighed in contentment, leaning back in his chair. His thirty minutes were almost up, but Clint was glad that Pepper dragged him out of Natasha's room, his stomach appreciating the food. His eyes began to close from exhaustion when a voice from the overhead speakers jolted him awake.

"Agent Barton, report immediately to the medical bay. Agent Barton, report immediately to the medical bay."

Clint was on his feet in an instant, running out of the room and down the hall while everyone ran after him.

"What's wrong with Tasha?" Clint yelled as he ran in the room to see Natasha fighting against the doctors' hold.

"We don't know," one of the nurses replied as they struggled to hold Natasha still. "She was fine one minute, still sleeping then the next minute the alarms are going off and we come in to see her ripping out all the IVs and wires."

Clint's heart clenched as he watched Natasha fight against the doctors, her eyes wide with fear. "Everyone, get out of here," Clint shouted, approaching the bed. As he got closer to Natasha, he could see that her eyes were open, but her mind wasn't fully there, as if she was half awake. "Now! Get out!" The doctors quickly shuffled away; when an assassin told you to get out, you left. Clint sat on the edge of her bed, gently taking her hands in his. She immediately struggled against his hold, her weakened body fighting against him. "Nat, it's okay now," Clint said, holding her hands firmly. "It's just me and you now, Nat; no one's gonna hurt you."

"Clint?" Natasha murmured, her struggling ceasing.

"Yeah Tasha, it's me," Clint replied, kissing her forehead softly. He frowned slightly as he felt how hot her skin was. "You're safe now Tasha; you know I wouldn't let anything hurt you. Just get well soon, okay?"

Natasha murmured his name again, resting her forehead against his shoulder as she closed her eyes. Clint felt her slip into unconsciousness as he wrapped his arms around her, her body going lax.

"If that isn't love, I don't know what is," Pepper said softly as the Avengers watched everything from the doorway.

* * *

How was this chapter readers? Good? Bad? Lukewarm? I've never written Pepper before so how did she turn out? Was she too OOC? I figured she'd be more subtle about pointing out Clint and Natasha's relationship. Anyway, reviews please.


	6. Thor

Thor walked down the hallways of S.H.I.E.L.D., smiling as he passed agents he was familiar with. He had just returned from a quick trip to Asgard, not wanting to be away from the Avengers for too long. He was just as worried about Natasha and Clint as everyone else was. Thor was quite fond of Natasha. He was quite impressed by her fighting skills when he first met her, but not completely shocked after fighting so many battles alongside Lady Sif. He enjoyed her dry wit when teasing the Man of Iron, her tongue almost as quick as Loki's. She was highly intelligent, which was a trait he prized above all others contrary to popular belief. Anyone could be strong of body, but to be strong of mind was just as important. He appreciated her help in explaining Midgardian devices and technology to him, her patience never ending as Thor attempted to familiarize himself with a new universe. He enjoyed her light conversation when she would join him on the balcony, offering him a poptart. If he ever had a younger sister, Thor supposed he would feel the same way to his sister as he did to Natasha; the same level of respect and admiration, love and sometimes overbearing protectiveness. It saddened him to see her lying still in a hospital bed, her skin pale, her eyes closed.

'_I do not know how the Archer is able to remain strong in the face of her illness,' he _thought as he approached Natasha's room. _'I would be beside myself with worry if such an illness were to befall Jane. Friend Clint is already greatly distressed.'_ Thor thought back to the past few days, to Clint's constant vigil at Natasha's bed. _'Indeed, he is quite worried. But Lady Natasha is comforted by his presence; perhaps that shall be some comfort to him as well.' _

Thor stopped outside Natasha's room, adjusting his gift under his arm. "Friend Clint, may I enter Lady Natasha's healing room?" Thor called.

"Yeah, you can come in, Thor," Clint replied, shaking his head. "You know you could have just opened the door and asked if you wanted too."

"It is improper to open the door of a healing room without seeking permission," Thor replied, entering the room and closing the door behind him.

"Thor," Clint said cautiously, "why do you have a rocking chair under your arm?" Clint raised an eyebrow as he looked at the rocking chair. It looked like your normal, run-of-the-mill rocking chair, the type of thing you knitted booties in, rocked babies to sleep in or read stories to small children in, but after becoming a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, Clint stopped thinking of anything as normal. His lips did quirk slightly as he briefly imagined Natasha rocking a baby in the chair, his heart swelling.

"I have brought it as a gift for you and Lady Natasha," Thor said, settling it carefully in the corner of the room.

Clint pursued his lips as he watched Thor handle the rocking chair carefully, with the type of reverence one showed a religious artifact, not a piece of woodwork. Just when Clint thought he finally understood Thor, he did something strange that threw Clint completely off. "Well Nat's unconscious so I don't think she'll be doing any rocking anytime soon. Why did you bring us a rocking chair? Is this some kind of Asgardian custom?"

"No, Friend Clint, it is not," Thor said, sitting in the empty chair next to Clint. "After watching you comfort Lady Natasha yesterday after she had awoken, I returned to Asgard to retrieve this chair." Thor clasped his hands in front of himself, staring at them instead of at Clint. "When Loki and I were children, we would sometimes have bad dreams the way all children do at one point or another. On these nights, Mother would enter our rooms, scoop us into her arms, sheets and all, and settle into the rocking chair. She would rock us until we had fallen back asleep. The chair does not possess any powers, but it provides immeasurable comfort to those who need it. I feel that Lady Natasha shall need such comfort while she recovers from her illness." Thor glanced at the rocking chair, a nostalgic look on his face. "The time of my need has come to pass; it is now time for the chair to comfort to another. There are no people I would rather give it to; you and Lady Natasha are family now."

Clint sat quietly, Thor's story shocking him into silence. He was touched by Thor's gift, about the thought Thor had put into it. To give away a piece of his childhood, something with so many memories attached to it had to be difficult for Thor and it made Clint appreciate it even more. "Thanks Thor; I really appreciate it. Tasha will love it when she wakes up."

"Lady Natasha shall awake soon, Friend; do not worry," Thor replied. "Will you inform her of your feelings when she awakens?"

Clint shook his head, running his hand through his hair. "There are no feelings to inform her of."

"This is true. It is very likely Lady Natasha already knows of your feelings for her," Thor said, nodding his head. "Lady Natasha and your feelings are quite apparent to all."

"What is with everyone and them wondering about me and Natasha lately? Seriously everyone's been talking about it since Nat got sick," Clint said exasperatedly.

"You and Lady Natasha are family to us all. We have all experienced the loss of love and do not wish to see you both experience such a pain. We all wish nothing but happiness for you both," Thor said. "Do not worry, Friend Clint. When the time arrives for you to speak of your feelings to Lady Natasha, you shall know."

* * *

Reviews pleaseeeee


	7. Tony

It's time for a Tony chapter!

* * *

Tony hummed softly as he took a sip of his coffee, a thermos of it tucked under his arm. He hated the medical bay, absolutely detested it. He hated the antiseptic smell, the bright overhead lights, the deafening silence of the place. It just made him want to run out and start blasting music. Since he couldn't quite do that, he would settle for humming as he walked through the halls. _'Only for Pepper or an Avenger would I willingly walk into the medical bay,'_ Tony thought, shaking his head slightly. He wasn't as worried about Natasha as everyone else was, at least that's what he told himself. Tony didn't miss her sarcastic comments when he made a smart remark. He didn't miss listening to Pepper and Natasha chat in the living room, Pepper's voice taking on a special happy tone that could only be brought on by female companionship. He didn't miss making jokes about Natasha and Clint's secret relationship. He _definitely _didn't miss her threatening to kill him in painful yet creative ways. He didn't miss stocking up on the special Russian vodka Clint insisted he order for Natasha. _'Nope,'_ Tony thought._ 'I don't miss the Russian at all; she'll be up and terrorizing us in no time.' _

Though Tony had to admit he was holding Pepper a bit tighter at night as his mind would inevitably wander to the land of what-ifs, wondering what he would do if Pepper was in Natasha's position. Just the thought of it made Tony's heart clench, made him want to call Pepper and find out what she's doing even thought he knew exactly where she was; she was at Stark Industries, rescheduling the meeting he skipped to come to S.H.I.E.L.D. Prying himself away from his worrisome thoughts, he opened the door to Natasha's room. "Yo Legolas, how goes guard duty?" Tony asked as he closed the door behind him.

"I knew you would be the only person who didn't knock," Clint replied, shaking his head.

"Why should I knock?" Tony said innocently. "Natasha's unconscious so I don't think she'd mind me being here-"

"She'd probably mind very much."

"And you're supposed to be a master assassin. You should have known I was coming from the minute I stepped foot on base. Don't tell me you're getting rusty, Robin Hood."

"Exactly how am I supposed to tell when you enter S.H.I.E.L.D, Stark? I don't have the place wired with camera like you have the Tower," Clint replied.

"Excuses, excuses," Tony said dismissively. "If you don't play nice, I wont give you the present I brought you."

"And what exactly have you brought me?" Clint said, raising an eyebrow.

"The sweet nectar from the gods," Tony replied, handing him the thermos. "The salvation of tireless brilliant billionaire playboy philanthropist geniuses and super assassins watching over their sick assassin girlfriend."

"Nat's not my girlfriend," Clint said as he opened the thermos. He sniffed the coffee, the aroma making his mouth water, before taking a sip. _'Oh man, this is good,' _Clint thought as he swallowed a generous gulp.

"You know you keep saying that over and over again, but I find myself not believing you. Why do you think that is?"

"Because you're insane?" Clint offered, drinking more of the coffee. "Where do you get this coffee? It's great."

"Pepper special orders it from a little farm in South America; it's incredible. But that's not the point right now," Tony said, refusing to be distracted. "The reason you keep denying that you guys are together is because you haven't told you love her yet; you don't want us to blow your cover. Though how she doesn't know you love her yet is beyond me; it's painfully obvious."

"Nothing is painfully obvious," Clint replied, slightly annoyed. "There's no feelings for me to tell her about, there's no relationship for us to have. Tasha and I are just Tasha and I. We're partners, we're best friends, but that's it."

"Oh Clint," Tony said, shaking his head in mock sadness. "Clint, Clint, Clint, Clint, Clint. You're in denial more than Coulson was when he thought he could cover up the fact that I'm Iron Man."

"How exactly did he think you could cover it up? Didn't you blow up one of your factories?" Clint asked.

"Thank you!" Tony shouted, raising his arms in exasperation. "Finally someone gets it. Pepper nearly murdered me after the "I am Iron Man" incident. But that's not the point either. You love Natasha-"

"I don't love Tasha," Clint said, taking another sip of coffee.

"You screamed bloody murder when her heart failed in the helicarrier. You've spent the past few days sitting by her bedside, refusing to move. Pepper had to threaten you to get you to leave for a few minutes and eat something. You're the only person who can get Natasha to calm down from her sickness induced flip out. And you're the only one who can call her Nat or Tasha or any other nickname without getting a limb removed. You love her and you're just too dense to see that she loves you just as much," Tony said, slightly frustrated. "Why don't you just tell her?"

"Why do you think it's so easy to do?" Clint replied quickly, mentally smacking himself as the words left his lips. _'Shit.' _

"HA! You didn't deny it! You love her, Robin Hood. I knew it!"

"Stark, if you don't shut up I will remove you ability to speak," Clint said, annoyed with Tony and himself.

"You have no idea how long I've been saying you and Natasha loved each other," Tony said happily. "So why haven't you told your Maid Marian yet? Widow got your tongue?"

"We're partners, Tony. The last thing we need is to throw feelings into the mix," Clint replied. Clint couldn't believe he was talking to Tony Stark out of all people about his feelings._ 'Now I've seen everything,' _he thought dryly. "I tell her I love her and she doesn't feel the same or we get together and things don't work out, it's not gonna end well for us. She's my best friend, Stark; I can't lose her."

Tony sat quietly for a few minutes, trying to figure out how to explain things to Clint. "You know I loved Pepper for a long time," Tony said softly. "I don't even know when it started. I mean, I always thought she was beautiful and she was smart as hell too, major turn-on. But I was so wrapped up in myself, I didn't see it as anything besides liking a hot girl. Then everything happened in Afghanistan." Clint was shocked; Tony never spoke about Afghanistan ever. "You know I thought about her every day. That's what kept me going. Knowing that she was at home, it gave me something to fight for. Natasha…she's what you fight for. She's your drive, your push to do your best on a mission, to make it out alive all the time. I can guarantee you she loves you as much as you love her. You guys fit together, just like me and Pepper do. There will never be anyone else for you but Natasha, just like there will never be anyone for me but Pepper. Might as well tell each other and get to be together than just wait around with all these emotions there."

"Tony…" Clint said, unsure of what to say.

"Anyway, I'll leave you with your lady, Legolas. I'm gonna go home and start a betting pool on how long it'll take you to man up and tell Red you love her," Tony laughed. "I'll see you later, Robin."

"Later, Tony," Clint said as Tony walked out of the room. Clint turned toward Natasha, taking her hand in his. "Just you and me now, Tasha."

* * *

What will happen next? Thoughts on Tony? Reviews please


	8. Clint

I dont know how i feel about this chapter. Let me know guys.

* * *

Clint stretched his arms overhead as he walked back to Natasha's hospital room. He walked through the empty hallways of S.H.I.E.L.D, reveling in the silence. He had decided to leave Natasha's room for a few minutes to shower and change his clothes; Natasha seemed stable enough although her fever still continued. The words of his fellow Avengers bounced around his head, forcing him to face his feelings for Natasha.

_"There's just something about you two that just makes sense, like two puzzle pieces fitting together. You don't have to think about it or focus on it; your relationship just makes sense."_

_ "Then obviously you need to open your eyes a little bit. I don't want to see that happen to you and Natasha; I don't want you guys to realize how much you love each other when it's too late."_

_ "You'd think two assassins would constantly be at each other's throats, not falling in love with each other, but you two work perfectly…If that isn't love, I don't know what is."_

_ "You and Lady Natasha are family to us all. We have all experienced the loss of love and do not wish to see you both experience such a pain. We all wish nothing but happiness for you both…When the time arrives for you to speak of your feelings to Lady Natasha, you shall know." _

_ "You love her and you're just too dense to see that she loves you just as much." _

Clint wasn't stupid; he knew he loved Natasha. He couldn't explain when it started, but he knew he loved her. Maybe it happened the first time she took a bullet for him. Maybe it happened when she curled into his arms after their mission in Rome. Maybe it happened in all those days off when they would watch movies together, her feet resting on his lap and a bottle of liquor between them. All Clint knew was that he loved her. He loved her beautiful red hair, as fiery as her personality. He loved her porcelain skin, the scars that marred her, only adding to her perfection. He loved her brilliant mind and her sarcastic comments. He loved her preference for Russian vodka. He loved the way her face lit up when she smiled and he loved her musical laughter. He loved everything about her.

_ 'And that's the problem, isn't it?' _he thought as he stood outside Natasha's room._ 'I love her. I love Natasha Romanoff and it's a problem.'_ Being in love with a master assassin was hard enough, being in love with Natasha Romanoff was nearly impossible._ 'Nearly, but not completely impossible,' _a small part of his mind reminded him. Clint had absolutely no idea how Natasha felt about him, if he was just a friend and a partner or something more to her. Natasha had one of the best poker faces he had ever seen, maybe even better than his, making it difficult for him to figure out how she felt. Even if he did know how she felt, falling in love would make things potentially disastrous between them. If things ended between them, it could potentially damage their professional relationship. More than that, Clint didn't want to risk damaging their friendship; Natasha was his best friend and the last thing he wanted was to lose her.

"Why is everything so difficult?" Clint muttered as he opened the door. He paused as he took a step into the room, his eyes landing on the empty hospital bed. "Natasha?" Clint called, closing the door behind him. His eyes quickly swept the room, locating her curled up in the corner of the room. _'Thank god,'_ he thought, taking a step toward her. "Nat?" he said softly as he knelt in front of her. Natasha remained in the same position: her knees pulled up to her chest, her forehead pressed against them as her arms encircled her head. He carefully placed a hand on her shoulder, wincing as she quickly grasped his wrist and twisted it. "Ouch Nat, that hurts," Clint mumbled, his eyes widening as he focused on Natasha. Her skin was flushed, covered in a light sheen of sweat that caused her vibrant red hair to cling to her forehead. Her eyes were wide with fear, darting around the room. Although she held his arm in a tight grip, Clint could see her body shaking slightly. "Tasha, it's okay; it's just me."

"Clint?" Natasha said cautiously, releasing his arm and wrapping hers around her knees again.

"Yeah it's me, Nat. Don't you recognize me?"

"I don't know, Clint, I don't know," Natasha said softly, her voice filled with fear. "I don't know what's real anymore. You, the Red Room, the invasion, the Avengers, my ledger. Oh god, my ledger. It has so much red, Clint, so so much. I can't get it out; I can't get it off of me," she said, rubbing her arms. "Clint, it's too much. I can't get it off of me; I can't get their blood off of me. It's everywhere, Clint; I can't escape it. I-I can't do it."

"Natasha," Clint said, grabbing her face gently in his palms as her eyes filled with tears and her voice tinged with hysteria. Her skin was still burning up from her fever. _'The fever must be giving her some hellish dreams.' _"This is real. You and me, right now, right here, we're here."

"I don't know, Clint. How do I know?" Natasha asked, shaking her head slightly. "How do I know this is real?"

Clint took Natasha's hand, placing it over his heart. "You feel my heart, Nat? That's how you know we're real, that this is all real. I'm right here with you, Nat. Everything's okay now." Clint slowly pulled Natasha into his arms, not wanting to scare her.

"Clint," Natasha said softly, her fingers gripping his shirt tightly as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I've got you, Tasha; don't worry," Clint said as he carefully got to his feet. _'Gotta remember to thank Thor again for the chair,'_ he thought as he settled in the chair, Natasha shifting into a more comfortable position on his lap. He could feel the heat coming off of her body, her feverish forehead pressed against the side of his throat. "How do you feel, Tasha?"

"Confused," Natasha muttered drowsily, still gripping his shirt tightly. "Like…like I'm drifting away. I still don't know if this is real."

"It's real, Tasha; trust me," Clint said, kissing her head.

"Always trust you, Clint," she replied. "Always."

"Just rest, Tasha. You'll feel better in the morning." Clint closed his eyes as he rocked them, his arms wrapped protectively around her. "Hey Tasha?" Clint called softly, checking to see if she was awake. "You know I love you, right? I always have and I always will. I just need you to get better for me, okay?"

* * *

Reviews please


	9. Natasha

_ 'What time is it?'_ Clint wondered as he slowly awakened, Natasha still nestled in his arms. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told him it was shortly after seven in the morning. _'It's a wonder neither of us fell out of the chair last night,'_ he thought as he got to his feet, moving slowly to keep from waking Natasha. He gently placed her on the bed, smiling as he looked down at her. Her skin was cool to his touch, the raging inferno of her fever having passed. Her breathing was slow and even, her skin back to its normal healthy color. "Glad you're better, Nat," he whispered, kissing her forehead before walking out of the room. He was hesitant to leave her alone, it seemed like something always happened to her when he left the room, but he needed to find a doctor to check up on her. _'She'll be fine,'_ he thought, quickly walking through the hallways.

* * *

Natasha felt as if she was hit in the head with a two by four as she slowly regained consciousness. _'For all I know I could have been,'_ she thought as her mind tried to separate reality from the nightmares caused by the toxic gas and her fever. The last thing she knew as an absolute fact was running into the building during the Avengers mission. Everything after that moment was up in the air for her. She wasn't sure where she was or who she was with. _'God I hope I haven't been kidnapped again,'_ she thought tiredly. _'I don't have the energy to fight right now.' _She slowly opened her eyes, the brightness of the lights causing her to wince.

"Tasha?" a familiar voice said softly, a roughened hand holding hers tightly.

_'Oh thank god,'_ she thought with relief, squeezing Clint's hand gently. _'If Clint's here, then everything's fine.'_ She opened her eyes again, raising her free hand to shield them from the brightness. "Clint," she rasped, her throat rough from lack of use.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Clint replied, smiling slightly. "How do you feel?"

"Dizzy…very dizzy," Natasha said, closing her eyes. "Where are we? What happened?"

"We're at S.H.I.E.L.D. I caught you when you jumped out of the window-"

"Knew you would."

"And we brought you straight here. You've been unconscious for the past four days. You had me worried, Tasha," Clint finished, stroking her knuckles slowly.

Natasha forced her eyes open again, fighting against the alluring pull of sleep. "Clint," she called softly, forcing him to look at her. "You know I'll always make it back to you right? Even all the weird stuff I saw and I saw a lot of stuff, I knew I'd make it back to you."

"I know, Nat. You're a fighter; you'll always come back to me," Clint replied, wrapping his hands around hers. Natasha closed her eyes, a small smile on her face. She knew Clint would hold onto her hand again until she woke up, which was immensely comforting to her. "What did you see in your dreams, Nat? You were really upset from them."

"Hmm? I saw a lot of stuff, a lot of the past missions. That wasn't even the weirdest part," she answered, opening her eyes again and looking around the room. "The weirdest thing was…wait the rocking chair is real?" she asked, her eyes landing on the chair in the corner.

"Yeah, Thor brought us a rocking chair. Why?" Clint asked curiously.

Natasha laughed softly, the lull of sleep slowly pulling her under. "The rocking chair is real. It's actually real; it did happen," she murmured before falling asleep.

Clint stared at Natasha's peaceful face, baffled by her comments. "You have something to explain when you wake up."

* * *

"I hear the doctors cleared you to go home," Clint said as he entered Natasha's hospital room. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I just need a second," Natasha replied, carefully getting off the bed. She wasn't sure how strong her body was after being bedridden for days. "Clint, we're best friends right?"

"Yeah, of course."

"So I can ask you anything, right?"

"Yeah," Clint replied cautiously. "What's up, Nat?"

"When I first woke up, I thought something I saw while I was sick was a dream," Natasha said, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "But I realize it's not now, but I don't know if it's true or not."

Clint raised an eyebrow as he watched her, confused by her words. Natasha was the most straightforward person he knew; to see her tripping over her words was rare. "Nat, just spit out what you're trying to say."

Natasha took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She could feel her heart beating faster, her palms getting sweaty. "What you said last night when we were in the rocking chair, when you said you loved me, did you mean it?" Clint felt his eyes widen at Natasha's words. He was sure she was sleeping when he spoke to her. "Clint, did you mean it?" Natasha asked nervously.

"Yeah," Clint said after a moment of silence. "I meant it." _'Guess this is the moment of truth,' _he thought.

"You know this could end horribly for us right? We could end up breaking up."

"Or we could work out amazingly," Clint replied, taking a step toward her. "If Stark can handle a relationship, we definitely can."

"That's very true," Natasha laughed. "I don't know how to do the girlfriend thing. I've never really had a boyfriend; I was too busy being an assassin."

"That's okay; I'm not really sure how to do the boyfriend thing either," Clint said, taking another step toward her. "We'll just have to figure it out together."

"And I do _not _do pet names. If you call me honey or sugar or anything, I will stab you," Natasha said, glaring at him.

"How about babe?" Clint suggested, stepping closer to her, less than an inch of space between them. "Or maybe something else," he suggested as she continued to glare at him.

"You know how stupid it is for us to fall in love with each other, right?" she asked, resting her hands on his chest.

"Fury calls us stupid all the time, might as well live up to his standards," Clint replied, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"You know I love you, right?" she whispered, looking into his eyes. She could feel the butterflies fluttering in her stomach, her heart racing.

"Yeah I do now," Clint replied, pulling her against him and kissing her softly. "I love you too."

* * *

That's the end of this story, ladies and gentleman. Reviews please!


End file.
